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The 1960s US Embassy |
Beautifully ugly embassy could stave off demolition as a listed building
High security £500m Mayfair landmark could be protected with English Heritage status
THE US embassy in Mayfair could be listed as a building of historical importance by English Heritage, which casts into serious doubt plans to sell or revamp it.
The conservation body is expected to advise culture secretary Andy Burnham, the fortress-like 1960’s building should be protected with a grade II listing.
People in the area approve of the proposals, despite many of them campaigning to evict the US government because of the terrorist threat and military style security it brings to Grosvenor Square and the surrounds.
And although the building has been called “ugly”, the listing that points to the US staying put has been welcomed.
The move would threaten the £500 million the US government could expect to gain for its sale because of the planning restrictions attached to the listing.
The US ambassador, Robert Tuttle, is reported to be lobbying English Heritage to head off the preservation order, which could halve the value of the 600 room central landmark.
Built to the designs of Finnish-born American architect Eero Saarinen in 1960, the US embassy has witnessed several Vietnam war protests as well as a dramatic tightening of security since the 9/11 attacks which has led residents to dub it “the green zone”, like the secure area in Baghdad. Since the traffic restrictions around it were enforced, it has become something of a bête noir among residents, who are angry about the congestion it has caused around the swanky square and neighbouring streets.
Ron Whelan from the Mayfair Action Group said: “The whole situation has been a blight to residents, but the building has been there for almost 60 years, and as much as it’s not an attractive building, you get used to it. I’d prefer it if Richard Caring [the restaurant tycoon] didn‘t buy the building, as there are many restaurants and housing developments in the area as it is. The residents and the embassy were actually in agreement to close Upper Brook Street and Upper Grosvenor Street to traffic.”
Marina Atwater welcomed the listing. “The building has been there for a long time, and I hope they don’t tear it down. It is ugly, but it’s beautiful in it’s ugliness.”
Prospective buyers, who are said to include Richard Caring, who owns The Ivy and Le Caprice, are eyeing up the building for demolition to make way for a potential appartment or hotel development. A spokesperson told The Art Newspaper: “The embassy continues to consider a number of options to help bolster security and accommodate growth. Relocation is one option; so is reconstruction, redesign, renovation. No decision on the embassy’s future has yet been made.”
The proposal for listed status is said to have come from the Twentieth Century Society, which claims to have been responsible for inspiring the conversion of the Bankside power station into the Tate Modern. |
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